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Just to add to that, if you are cleaning your media as a part of your normal routine maintenance, and you water parameters are good ( 0ppm of ammonia & nitrite) the bio-media is at the least efficiant enough.

If you take your time to do the research FIRST, you can successfully set-up and keep ANY type of aquarium with ease."Not using a quarantine tank is like playing Russian roulette. Nobody wins the game, some people just get to play longer than others." - Anthony CalfoFishless CycleCycling with FishMarine Aquarium Info [URL="http://saltwater.aquaticcommunity.com/"]

It's really a subject for another thread, but the heavier the bioload on a filter, the more often you'll need to change out ceramic or splintered glass biomedia. It does clog, the pores do becomes blocked and the media becomes less effective (efficient) over time.

But that's not necessarily the case with biomedia that has a light bioload on it. With a light bioload, the pores don't clog as easily and biomedia keeps its efficiency longer.

So it's really a question of how efficient the biomedia has become.

Does that make sense? I hope so because it makes perfect sense to me. But right now I'm the only one listening to me, unfortunately.....or fortunately for you as the case maybe.

Yes, that makes sense.

But, is there any way to VISUALLY tell if the ceramic biomax pores have clogged? Is discoloration of the beads a clue? How would one know if the biomax has become less efficient? It's easier to determine that with the mechanical sponge, but with the biomedia, what would one look for?

How would one know if the biomax has become less efficient? what would one look for?

Your testing results.

Gas mileage isn't everythingOIIIIIIIOLack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.Why pretend there are no stupid questions? Actually, There are many stupid questions: "Should I drink this bleach?" Is just one example.
Having said that, Just because it's a stupid question doesn't mean that it shouldn't be asked. It's better to know.A warm beer is better than a cold beer. Because nothing is better than a cold beer, and a warm beer is better than nothing.

If the beads or rings have a built up biofilm (slime for the lack of a better term), it's time to rinse them clean or cycle some out and replace with new.

Sponges are cheap. You can even get the generic ones that fit into the AC filters by mail order. I try to soak used sponges that don't hold their shape anymore in a bleach\water solution to get them clean, then soak them in dechlorinated water. Sometimes that will bring their shape back and you can reuse them. But I purchase a new 3 pack every time I do a mail order for supplies. I use the sponges for cleaning the inside tank glass.

Thanks, Taurus. I still can feel the original texture of my ceramic beads (no slime), so I'm good for awhile. Right now, I have fairly light bioloads in my tanks, so they'll probably last indefinitely. But I'll know to watch for that biofilm build-up when and if it occurs.

I cleaned one of my filters a couple days ago, and rinsed the sponge thoroughly under tap water. Since I have well water that isn't chlorinated, I don't think it killed much of the BB, but I dipped it in into a bucket of Primed tapwater anyway, simply because Prime is good for both tanks and filters, and it will help temporarily neutralize any small ammonia spike that just might occur. Certainly couldn't have hurt anything.

I agree with an above poster, that if you ever do suspect the bio-media is maxed out or coated, you can simply open the bag, and replace some, not all of the bio-media with fresh media. Don't ever chuck the whole thing.

Just a tip, for those it may help, even yourself, instead of carbon in that slot I use a few cut to fit water polishing pads. I place them above the sponge, and they do an excellent job of keeping the water crystal clear. I rinse those weekly in removed tank water, and replace with new about once every two months of when they get particularly "floppy". They help a great deal as well with keeping "gunk" and finer silt material from clogging up the bio rings above it.